An epistolary novel par excellence, a tale told in letters that is staunchly, defiantly old-school, in form and message ... Something about our particular moment calls forth nostalgia for pen-and-paper communication. This is an epistolary novel for the social media era, appealing to the hearts of readers who feel like they were born just a little too late, and are now condemned to operate in a world where interpersonal communication is so omnipresent as to have lost its glamour.
A delight: melancholy without being sentimental, warm without being cosy, witty without being silly ... If any of this sounds twee or parochial, rest assured it is not ... An ode to a dying art form, and proof that your life is never too decided to make a change. It deserves to be a word-of-mouth success this side of the Atlantic too.
Charming, engrossing, and deeply moving, Evans’ novel explores the way everyday choices and relationships shape a life and shows it’s never too late to form new connections, make amends, or even fall in love.
Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth. An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
